Mysteries of the Bible: The Mystery of the Blindness of Israel

Mysteries of the Bible
The Mystery of the Blindness of Israel
Romans 16:25
by Cooper Abrams
All Rights Reserved

           "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in" (Rom. 11:25).
          Barnes say, "The word mystery means, properly, that which is concealed, hidden, or unknown. And it especially refers, in the New Testament, to the truths or doctrines which God had reserved to himself, or had not before communicated. It does not mean, as with us often, that there was anything unintelligible or inscrutable in the nature of the doctrine itself, for it was commonly perfectly plain when it was made known. Thus the doctrine, that the division between the Jews and the Gentiles was to be broken down, is called a mystery, because it had been, to the times of the apostles, concealed, and was then revealed fully for the first time, Rom. 16:25, Col. 1:26,27. Compare with 1 Cor. 15:51, Mark 4:11, Eph. 1:9, 3:3. Thus the doctrine which the apostle was stating was one that until then had been concealed, or had not been made known. It does not mean that there was anything unintelligible or incomprehensive in it, but until then it had not been made known" (Barnes New Testament Notes, Romans 11:25).
           The Nation of Israel rejected Jesus as their Messiah. Although He came fulfilling exactly all the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah, did great miracles, and proclaimed Himself the Messiah the Jews, as a nation, refused to believe His was the Savior the promised Messiah.
           It should be noted that the blindness of Israel was "in part" meaning they were not completely or absolutely blinded. Many did believe in Jesus the Messiah and were saved. In fact the first Christians were all Jews beginning with Jesus' twelve disciples, then the 120 gathered on the day of Pentecost and included the 3000 saved on that day. Cornelius was the first Gentile saved and added to the Body of Christ, and later as Acts 11:19-26 records when the church at Antioch was established. Even in Asia Minor the churches that Paul established were mixed Jew and Gentile and in the first missionary journeys Paul preached in the synagogues to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. (see Rom. 1:16, 2:10) However, the Jews as a people rejected Jesus Christ and in time even Paul stopped preaching to them. (see Rom. 18:6) Even today some Jews are saved showing the blindness of Israel was to them as a nation not to every individual Jew.
I. GOD'S PROGRAM FOR ISRAEL.
A. The nation of Israel was God's witness of who He was to both the Jew and the Gentile nations. (see Deut. 28:37, 1 Kings 9:7, Psa. 44:14, Jer. 24:9, Eze. 22:4) When God called Abram (Abraham) in Genesis 12:1-3 He promised him four specific things:

1. Make of him a great nation. V2
2. To bless him and make his name great.
3. To be a blessing and to bless them that blessed Abram and curse them that cursed him.
4. In Abram would all the nations of earth be blessed.

a. These promises were made unconditionally by God.
b. The promised "seed" is singular and means the seed referred to in Gen. 12:3 is Christ.
c. V17...That the promise was fulfilled in Christ. Note is states the promise cannot be disannulled!
5. In Genesis 22:16-18, God reaffirms His covenant with Abraham. He promises again that in the seed (offspring) of Abraham ". . . all the nations of the earth be blessed." Paul in Galatians 3:16-17, explains that the word "seed" is singular and refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore Abraham was promised that the Messiah would come from his descendants.
6. In the Davidic Covenant (covenant to David) God promised David's kingdom would be forever. (2 Samuel 7:15-16)
a. Jeremiah 33:17 states there will always be a man to sit on the throne of the house of David.
b. Jeremiah 23:5 states there will be one to come to reign, prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice on the EARTH. Note the extent of the rule of the king as being not confined just to Israel but to the earth.
c. Jeremiah:20 states if Israel could break the covenant there would be no day or night.

B. However, the Jews rejected their Messiah!

1. The promised Kingdom was offered, but refused by the Jews. John the Baptist, the first prophet in Israel for four hundred years preached "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand" (Matt. 3:2). Clearly, John the Baptist was the forerunner of the promised Messiah as Malachi had prophesied would come (Mal. 3:1, 4:50, Matt. 11:12-14). The Kingdom John stated was at hand was the Millennial Kingdom promised to Israel when the Messiah would sit upon the throne of David and rule the world bringing a time of peace.
2. Jesus also began His ministry proclaiming the same message. "Repent for the kingdom of God is at Hand?" (Matt. 4:17, Mark 1:15).
3. Note Matthew 4:23 that the Gospel that was preached was the Gospel "of the kingdom." Do we preach this now? Answer, no. Note that in Matthew 5:17..."I am come not to destroy the law and the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill." In Matthew chapters 5 to 7 Jesus preached the Kingdom, and the precepts that would govern His coming Kingdom.
4. The proof of His Messiahship was revealed to Israel in Matthew chapters 7 to 11. Jesus preaching to the Jews said, " . . . "blessed is the man that is not offended in me"( Matt. 11:6, Luke 7:23).In Matthew 11:16-19 records the beginning of the rejection of Christ by the Jesus. Matthew 11:20 states that Jesus began to upbraid the cities because they repented not!
The "wise and prudent" Jews began to attack Him.(Matt. 11:25) Matthew 12:2 records the Jews did not accept Him and condemned Him on the matter of His disciples eating of the Sabbath. Verse 14, states they sought to destroy Him. Chapter 13:1, says that "Jesus went and sat by the sea." Many believe that the "sea" is a type of the world and that therefore Jesus was turning from the religious and self righteous Jews because they were rejecting Him. In Chapter 13:11, Jesus told his disciples that He was revealing the truth to them, but it was not being offered to Israel. Note how Jesus explained this to the disciples:

"For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them" (Matt. 13:12-17).

Jesus then began to seek in parables which gave insights in the Kingdom life.
5. Matthew 15 and 16 record the rejection of Jesus by Scribes and Pharisees who were Israel's leaders. John also recorded that the people rejected the Lord Jesus and the multitude that had followed him all forsook Him. Jesus then asked his twelve disciples, "Will ye also go away?" Then Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." (John 6:67-69).
6. In John 8:12, Jesus proclaimed, "I am the Light of the World" and in verse 24, stated plainly that He was God. He did not say "a" God, He said "I am YAWEH!" (see John 4:26,10:30) In John 8:40 Jesus stated the meant to kill Him. (see verse 45, 56-58)

C. After the Jesus and the promised Kingdom is rejected the scene and Jesus' ministry changes. (Matt. 10:1-17)

1. When Jesus first send out His disciple He commanded NOT to go to the Gentiles. There were to go to Israel ONLY! (Matt. 10:6).
2. These disciples were to preach "the Kingdom of God is at hand" which was what John the Baptist and the Jesus were preaching.
3. Note the urgency of the message as being that the Kingdom was present and now, at hand! They were not to take money, script, two coats, or extra shoes. It was to be a short ministry and they would not be gone long.

4. Note however how the message was changed just before He was betrayed. Contrast Luke 22:35-36 with how Jesus sent out the disciples in Matthew 10:6.

"And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and script, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his script: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one" (Luke 22:35-36).

Jesus is telling the same twelve disciples NOW to take their purse, and money and sword. Context of these verses is just before Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was preparing to reveal His new program that would take a longer period than before.

II. Israel's Blindness Will be Ended.

A. Israel's blindness was not forced on them by God. Romans 11:25 says the blindness "happened in part" to Israel conceitedness. It was rare pride that blinded Israel and even today blinds the lost who refuse to believe God. God does not violate a man's will. Israel had rejected Jesus Christ in spite of His, message, miracles and fulfillment of prophecy. Therefore God allowed them judicially to do as they pleased. He did not cause their blindness, but allowed it not forcing Himself on them. Paul further states their blindness will end when the "fullness of the Gentiles comes." Note verse 27 mentions the covenant.
B. Verse 25, notes that the blindness end when the "fullness of the Gentiles is come"

This period is related to the "times of the Gentiles." (Luke 21:24) This is a period when Israel will be under Gentile domination. It began because Israel sinned and rejected the Messiah. This period started with the 70 years of captivity in 606-536 B.C.
Ezekiel 21:24-27 stats the reason Israel was rejected by God. The reason as verse 24 says was their sin. "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand." (Ezekiel 21:24)
Verse 26 notes the "diadem and crown", which are symbols the right to govern will be removed. The end to the time when the diadem and crown are removed is temporary and they will be restored. When the one comes "whose right it is", to rule. It began when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah and took them captive and removed them from the land. It as continued throughout history unto our present age because Israel has rejected God. Yes, they claim to worship God, buy the Book of Malachi clearly dispels the idea they were truly obeying or serving God.

As noted before the Messiah came and was rejected and the Times of the Gentiles continues until Christ returns at the Second Coming. However, the Blindness will ends, but until the Jews believe and accept Jesus as their Messiah. We are presently in the time of the Gentiles or the Church Age. Daniel mentions an interval in the chronology of the events of the coming of the Messiah the Prince. (Dan. 9:24-27) To periods of time are stated on is 483 years in which period the Messiah would come and be cut off and Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed. However, verse 27 states there will be a final week, meaning seven years when the Antichrist shall rule until the prophecies be fulfilled. At the end of the seven years, called the Tribulation, the Lord Jesus Christ will return, destroy the rebellious lost and set up His 1000 reign, which the Kingdom promised to Israel.(Matthew 24:21)
The Seventh week of Daniel is the time when God will begin again to work with Israel and moves to complete His promises to them. God's prophetic clock will once again begin to mark time to the end of the 70th Week when the Messiah will come. Many Jews will believe and receive Jesus as the Christ. Revelations chapters 4-19, record how God works to bring Israel back to Himself in the period called the Great Tribulation. It appears that during the beginning of the Seventh Week (Tribulation), the first Jews will be saved which are the 144,000. (Rev. 7:4)
Conclusion:
The mystery of the blindness of Israel is that they willing ignored the message, miracles and fulfilled prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah. Israel in their pride though themselves to be special and suprior people whose relationship with God was founded in their birth as Jews. They falsely believed that God showed special favoritism to them individually. Nicodemus in John 3 is a perfect example. He though his heritage as a Jew would get him into heaven. Jesus replied that he needed to be born again, which mean spiritually reborn and if that did not occur he would not see the kingdom of heaven. Jesus explained that God send His Son, and those who believed in Him would not perish. Jesus stated, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18) In other words Jesus told Nicodemus that him being a Jew was would not get him into heaven....he needed to believe and accept Jesus Christ in order to be saved.
In Romans 11:25 Paul warns everyone that they should have false wisdom and be conceited and understand that this is what causes most of Israel to stumble and be lost. The mystery then was Israel rejected Jesus as their Messiah and the Gospel went to the Gentiles. This passage is addressing the fact that Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles and that the Gentiles were "graffed" in as was God's plan. This grafting in of the Gentiles into the promised kingdom and their salvation by God was unknown or not accepted by the Jews. Thus the salvation of Gentiles was a mystery, a present revealed truth, in Paul's day. "And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" (Romans 9:23-24)

"And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people." (Romans 15:9-11)

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